1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an air conditioner condenser, in particular, to baffles or partitions that are located in header pipes of the condenser, the baffles being formed from an extended portion of tubes disposed between the header pipes.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Parallel flow heat exchangers or condensers used in air conditioners usually consist of a set of header pipes which are joined by a set of parallel tubes. The tubes are joined to the header pipes so that fluid may flow from one header pipe to another. It is important that the tubes have a large surface area so that heat may be transferred through the tubes. As the fluid flows through the header pipes and tubes, the fluid is cooled. In order to provide more surface area over which cooling can take place, several tubes are provided which allow the fluid to pass from one header pipe to another.
Typically, the fluid flows into an inlet of one of the header pipes until it reaches a baffle. The baffle is inserted inside the header pipe to divert the fluid flow through the header pipe into a group of parallel tubes. The fluid then flows out of the tubes into another header pipe. This header pipe may also have a baffle that diverts the fluid flow into a second group of parallel tubes. By providing several sets of parallel tubes and baffles in the condenser, the fluid can be passed over a very large surface area of the tubes within a limited amount of space.
The prior art shows a variety of methods for positioning the partitions in the header pipes. One method is to insert the partitions through slots in the header pipe. Another proposed method shows a collar on each partition, the collar sliding over one of the parallel flow tubes.